18694: Dyadic Leader-Member Exchange Development: The Role of Implicit Theories (session 25641)

This study examines how leader-member exchange (LMX) develops through cognitive alignment between leaders and followers. Drawing on leaders’ implicit followership and followers’ implicit leadership theories, we investigate whether congruence between these implicit theories and actual perceptions of the partner shape the dynamics of LMX. We also test the moderating role of dyadic tenure. Using dyadic ratings from leaders and followers at two time points, our findings reveal that greater congruence in implicit followership and implicit leadership prototypes and perceptions leads to higher LMX. However, while congruence between leaders’ implicit followership anti-prototypes and their perceptions of followers tends to diminish LMX, congruence between followers’ implicit leadership anti-prototypes and their perceptions of leaders strengthens it. Moreover, dyadic tenure does not significantly moderate the relationships between both prototype and anti-prototype congruence and LMX, suggesting the enduring influence of established schemas over time. By integrating implicit theories with temporal factors, this research offers insights into LMX development.

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